The invention generally relates to a blanket for infants and children. In particular, the invention relates to a system including a blanket that provides warmth, comfort, and tactile stimulation to children while retaining toys and other articles at the blanket.
Modern families are highly mobile and frequently on the go, which is often problematic where there are infants and toddlers that must necessarily be accompanied by an array of baby paraphernalia. The various items parents are typically obligated to carry around often include pacifiers, teethers, rattles, toys, dolls, action figures, and security blankets in addition to the bottles or snacks, diaper bag, and changes of clothes. Quite clearly, running errands and traveling with children presents a tremendous challenge for parents.
To add to the frustration, parents are especially concerned about toys, especially oral devices like pacifiers, that may be dropped, thrown, or lost. Repeatedly seeing these toys ending up on a dirty grocery floor, under a restaurant table, across the airplane aisle, or jammed under a car seat is extremely frustrating and only elevates the parent""s anxiety level. There is therefore a need for a device that can secure these toys where the child may have access to them, thereby preventing the toys from being dropped, lost, soiled or otherwise exposed to germs.
The present invention remedies the problems encountered in the prior art with a system including a small blanket, approximately the size of a persons lap, with a toy and children""s article attachment device. The invention provides children ages approximately 3 months to 3 years a blanket made of suitable materials with an apparatus for removably attaching small toys to the blanket and an apparatus for removably attaching the blanket itself to other objects. The invention also makes it simple for parents to detach and reattach new toys as the child becomes ready for something new.
The invention in the preferred embodiment is an interactive, portable article retention system for infants and children, which is comprised of a blanket that consists of a blanket body with at least one layer of fabric, one or more tactile retainers affixed to the front surface; a border conforming to the perimeter of the blanket; and attachment means adapted to detachably attach the retention system to a child seating device or child conveyance device. The child seating device generally includes highchairs, baby bouncer seats, and infant swings; while the child conveyance device generally includes strollers, child carriers, car seats, and shopping carts.
In some embodiments, the tactile retainers are lengths of fabric which, when ends of such lengths are tied together, they are able to detachably attach toys and/or rings and the like.
The lengths of fabric, i.e. fabric strips, are preferably sewn to the front of the baby blanket. When knotted or otherwise tied, the fabric strips are substantially larger than a simple bow made of ribbon, and therefore provide tactile stimulation to the child as well as a makeshift handles to grasp while the blanket is lying on the lap of the child or the child lying on the blanket. In the preferred embodiment, there are four fabric strips that are arrayed in a square across the front surface of the blanket. In general, the blanket does not have attached to the front surface any type of article that would provide discomfort to the child when the child is lying down on the blanket.
In some embodiments, the border is substantial enough to constitute a soft barrier that inhibits toys, and perhaps the child, from rolling outside the confines of the blanket body. The barrier is preferably a ruffle that makes the border thicker than the blanket body, although one skilled in the art will recognize that it may also be a type of padded roll or raised trim.
In some embodiments, the attachment means includes flexible fabric tabs adapted to directly attach to the child conveyance device. Each attachment means preferably includes a fastener such as a button, snap, hook, or VELCRO(copyright) type straps capable of detachably attaching the blanket to the lap strap(s) or handle bar of a highchair, stroller, child carrier, car seat, or shopping cart, for example.
In some embodiments, the blanket further includes a zippered or stitched pocket or pouch affixed to, for example, the back surface of the blanket. In still other embodiments, the retention system further includes a bib, burp cloth, or soft baby wipe case, which may or may not be pattern-coordinated with the blanket itself.
In some embodiments, the blanket is adapted to be placed on the lap of handicapped children, adults, and elderly people who are confined to their bed or to a wheel chair. The blanket in some of these embodiments includes one or more retainers and pockets able to retain or carry around various articles including, for example, eye glasses, pens/paper, books, games, and toys. The blanket in these embodiments would generally be larger than that of an infant or child blanket described in other embodiments. The retainers may be tactile retainers, such as ties and links, useful to aid visually impaired users, for example, to locate the articles or pockets on the blanket. The attachment means is preferably adapted to detachably attach the retaining blanket to a wheelchair. The attachment means in some embodiments includes pairs of straps with fasteners that attach to the armrests, seat backing, front bar, and/or back bars in the backrest area of a wheelchair.